Monday Post

Klass utilizes her mother and Mr. Eponym to show how much language effects her medical discourse community. Without the use of both people, one would be unable to understand the true role that language plays within the community. When Klass uses her mother to show her confusion about different medical things, the reader truly realizes the extent to which one must understand the language to be a part of the community. I, as a reader, related to Klass' mother. I did not know what all the medical jargon was when Klass was referring to it in her essay. Klass' mother is a good way to bring the reader into the writing because the reader can sympathize with what Klass' mother is going through. If the entire article were Klass and Mr. Eponym talking, it would not have the same meaning that it does now.

Response to Perri Klass

In "Learning the Language" Klass describes her discourse community in the medical world and how she uses jargon and abbreviations. Without the two characters of her mother and Mr. Eponym it would be hard to understand the story. It depends on the reader who they can identify with and for me as the reader i could identify with her mother. When her mother said "You'll have to tell me what an NG tube is if you want me to sympathize properly." I think using the two charcters really gives an understanding of how a discourse community can effect a person and how it is so easy for those who understand it. If you are farmilar with the topic it will be quick and easy when speaking and writing out the terms. but for an everyday person whos profession isnt in the medical field it will be a little bit more complicated. If you are learing to be in the medical field this would be helpful to you but the reader can understand where the mother "outsider" is coming from.

response to Klass

In the article Learning the Language, author Klass describes the language and jargon of the medical discourse community. Klass explains the inner struggles of adapting to this language. The author felt as if some of the expressions used were ethically incorrect in a way, and had inner struggle using some of the jargon (ex: nitrate "players," CTD "circling the drain."

Another struggle comes into play when the author tries to speak with their mother about work procedures and experiences. I feel that the author included this story about their mother to almost sympathize with the fact that the audience didn't know what these expressions meant either, so the mother was someone in which the audience can relate.

The other character mentioned was "Mr. Eponym." This was a character who was so into using medical phrases and jargon that his colleagues nicknamed him as such. I feel that this character was used in the passage to further show the inner conflict. The author was proud of the fact that they were picking up on the language, but still did not feel completely comfortable referring to patients as "players" and other such names. By including both people in and out of the discourse community, it further help to explain the struggle of adapting into the medical community, for ethical and comprehensive reasons.

Spetember 31,2007

Without having both perspectives to this story most people who are not doctors, nurses, or who don't know a lot about the medical field or terms might have been confused. I was confused when medical terms were used and didn't know until I heard both sides to the story. Each discourse community has certain aspects and details that other people who aren't in it might not know. This is why its always important (when telling a story) that there is an outside perspective and not just the perspective of someone within that discourse community.